Workshop Wednesday
Peg Balachowski and Mike Nevins
Everett Community College – AMATYC, November 2010
1
Peg Balachowski
mbalachowski@everettcc.edu
Math Department Chair
Everett Community College
Everett, WA
Michael Nevins
mnevins@everettcc.edu
Developmental Math Education Specialist
Everett Community College
Everett, WA
Workshop Wednesdays are a result of our research, activities – both the successful
and unsuccessful activities– discussions with colleagues, conferences, and just plain
luck. We’d like to thank all the students who took part in these activities, and we
hope that they remember “there’s always room for improvement – it’s the biggest
room in the house.” Louise Heath Leber
Workshop Wednesdays in Elementary Algebra
Developmental mathematics courses are difficult. Around the nation,
students struggle to successfully navigate their college’s developmental
mathematics curriculum (NCES, 2003). Students struggle to put effort into courses
they find extremely hard, void of interesting context and often not applicable to
their desired career.
Our struggle is ever-present and never-ending. The following resources and
ideas are the product of an ongoing effort to improve our students’ experiences. We
have talked with students. We have read books, attended conferences and debated
with colleagues. We are looking for the answers to our questions,
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How can we improve our students’ success and motivation in
mathematics?
What is affecting our students’ effort?
What skills and attributes do our students need to be successful in
mathematics at the college level?
Much of the structure and content of Workshop Wednesday labs comes from
research into Self-Regulated Learning (SRL). In educational psychology, social
cognitive theory describes the factors and effects of motivation and effort. SRL
describes how a student self-monitors and modifies their learning strategies in their
social learning environments. Research has found that developmental education
students often lack important SRL attributes (Ley & Young, 1998).
The goal of this integrated curriculum is to produce efficient, effective,
excited, and appropriately focused students. In many ways this training could
follow the training that many businesses provide for their employees.
The importance of such a curriculum or program is that the student be afford the opportunity
to self-realize their ability to be successful in mathematics through experiencing the effect of
possessing and applying expert learning skills.
Sources:
National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). 2003. Remedial education at degree granting
postsecondary institutions in fall 2000 nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2004010.
Young, D. B., & Ley, K., (1998). Self-regulation behaviors in underprepared (developmental) and
regular admission college students. Contemporary Educational Psychology 23, 42-64
Workshop Wednesday Index
Workshop Wednesday Structure
Workshop Wednesday 1 – Goal Setting
Dear Me: First Day of Class
Workshop Wednesday 2 – Exam Prep/Anxiety Control
Workshop Wednesday 3 – Note Taking
Workshop Wednesday 4 – Volition Control (Studying)
Workshop Wednesday 5 - Self-Evaluation (Goals #2)
Workshop Wednesday 6 – Comprehension Monitoring
Workshop Wednesday 7 – Advising (Moving Forward)
Workshop Wednesday 8 - Final Exam Prep/Debrief
Additional Documents
 It’s all about you!
 Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
 Writing Prompts
Workshop Wednesday Lab Structure
Current format of most Workshop Wednesdays at Everett Community College:
Student Reflecting Before Workshop
Students are asked to respond to questions before they attend a workshop. These
questions are posed to the student as a worksheet to be completed or a question
posted on an online discussion board.
Collaborative Discussion-Based Workshop
In groups, random or otherwise, students are asked to work through activities or
discussion questions that build off of the questions they contemplated before
attending the workshop. Case studies, research results, or reflective questions are
example of resources that can help these groups initiate a productive discussion.
Classroom Debrief
The instructor leads the class in a debrief of the day’s topic. Often, to instigate
student participation, a short presentation or lecture is given. An example of such a
presentation would be to present a random sample of the student responses to the
preparation questions.
The workshop wednesday curriculum could be implement in a developmental
mathematics course in many different formats:
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An entire class period or part of a class period once a week (the method
currently used at EvCC).
In an online format, where students respond to instructor prompts and their
classmates’ response.
As informal activities throughout the quarter/semester, time permitting.
Workshop Wednesday #1 – Goal Setting
Student Prep: Complete one of the following worksheets. These worksheets
prompt students to develop/formalize their own reasons for being in school and for
being enrolled in mathematics.
Collaborative Lab: The following directions are handed to groups at the beginning
of the lab.
1. Find your group (obviously if you are reading this you have completed the
first step).
2. Write your name on the grade sheet for your group and write yes or no in
the box that asks whether you completed the worksheet before class.
3. Beginning with the person who’s birthday is closest to today, go clockwise
around the group with each person sharing:
a. Their name
b. The reason they are in school at EVCC and specifically why they are
enrolled in Math 81.
c. The most important goal they have for the quarter.
This is a chance for you to get to know one another in your group. If you would like to
talk about something not on the list above feel free! Remember to be equitable with
the group’s time. Full participation in this part requires that you not only talk about
yourself, but also listen well (even ask questions if you are feeling froggy).
Let your instructor know when you have completed the first 3 steps before
continuing…
4. Answer the following question (for each person) below the line on this
worksheet:
“What, specifically and realistically, are you going to do this week to work
toward the goals you have for this course?”
Debrief: Using the “What about goals?” document below, discuss the reason for
having goals and the attributes of powerful and useful goal setting. Ask students to
create one realistic, measurable and specific goal for the quarter/semester.
Resources: Workshop Wednesday #1 Prep
Please give brief, but specific answers.
Why are you enrolled in Math 81 at EvCC?
What is your plan for being successful in Math 81 this quarter? How are you going to
ensure this happens? Be specific in your answers.
Describe two goals that you have for this quarter.
Resources: First Day of Class, 2010
Dear Me:
The reason I’m taking Math 81 in Fall 2010 is:
One of the challenges I think I’m going to face this quarter in Math 81 is:
One thing that I plan on doing to overcome that challenge is:
Two goals that I’m setting for myself between now and the end of the term are:
1.
2.
How did I do this term?
Sincerely,
Resources
What about goals?
Goals provide students a set of personal standards by which they can judge the
outcomes of their learning attempts. These standards also have the effect of
motivating and encouraging students during their learning as they are able to more
accurately gauge the progress of their understandings (Bandura,1986).
Performance Goals: Performance goals refer to goals set with a focus on the outcomes
of educational efforts (Hagen & Weinstein, 1995). Examples of performance goals in
mathematics may include desired course grades, homework scores, and exam scores.
Mastery Goals: Mastery goals refer to goals set with a focus on the learning or mastery of
concepts (Hagen & Weinstein, 1995). Goals of mastery are goals for certain levels of
understanding in specific mathematical concepts or comfort in applying new mathematical
procedures to real life situations.
A mastery goal has the effect of prompting students to seek challenges
instead of avoiding them and motivates them to put forth more effort into their
learning (Hagen & Weinstein, 1995). Also, the evaluation of a student’s progress
towards completing mastery goals is not dependent on the assessment of
homework and examinations. These types of goals empower students to accurately
self-monitor their progress towards their goals and this monitoring is not
dependent on the evaluation of someone else (i.e. - the instructor), as is the case
with performance goals.
Characteristics of effective goals
Measurable – To be prepared to accurately evaluate one’s progress, goals must have a
sense of measure to them. Example “I will feel comfortable with and understand each type
of problem presented in section 2.5” or “I will be able to complete any type of fraction
problem whether it is addition/subtraction or multiplication/division.”
Proximal – Long-term and short-term goals are both important but proximal (short-term)
goals offer themselves to evaluation more easily and therefore are more motivating.
Specific – This aids with a goal being measurable. Specific goals provide very strict
direction to your education.
Realistic – If you can’t reach a goal that you set for yourself you will begin to view your
goals as unattainable references and therefore sapping the usefulness of setting goals in the
first place.
Sources:
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall.
Hagen, A. S., & Weinstein, C. E. (1995). Achievement goals, self-regulated learning, and the role of
classroom context. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 63, 43-55.
Workshop Wednesday #2 – Exam Prep
Student Prep: Students respond on an online discussion forum to the following prompt,
1) How did/will you prepare for this week's math test? (at least two sentences)
2) Why do you use the method you described above?
3) In your opinion are the following Myths or Truths:
a) Eight hours of sleep the night before the exam is extremely important (so
important it makes sense to sacrifice study time for sleep time).
b) Students talk about "Blanking Out" during an exam. This is actually an excuse
used by under-prepared students who are looking for something besides
themselves to blame for a bad test.
Collaborative Lab: Students are asked to quickly share with their group members
about their exam preparation techniques. Most importantly, how they have been
preparing for this week’s exam. If time allows, groups report out a “best practice”
for their group. Students also have time during this section to discuss possible
distractions in life that prevent them from using one of the methods described.
Debrief: Compile a sample of student responses to the writing prompt. Present this
compiled list to the class, read through any interesting, useful, or funny responses.
Share thoughts on exam preparation with students using the “Helpful Hint”
document below. Remind them that these thoughts are based on research and
authors that have spent a lot of time investigating this subject. Spend time talking
about Test Taking Anxiety and how it can be managed. This conversation originates
from question 3b of the discussion board response.
Resources: Workshop Wednesday #2 – Exam Prep
Test Preparation Checklist
Type of Exam:
What I need when I study:
Multiple Choice
_____
Textbook(s)
_____
True/False
_____
Notes
_____
Matching
_____
Instructor’s Study Guide
_____
Completion
_____
Worksheets
_____
Identification
_____
Past Exams (scoops)
_____
Essay
_____
Supplemental Readings
_____
Lab work
_____
Calculator
_____
Problems
_____
Pen, pencil, extra paper
_____
Other _________________
Other
Will I study alone or with a study group?
_____ Alone
_________________
_____ Group*
*Make sure your group is more study than social. Set an agenda and stick to it.
Are there any study/review sessions the instructor will lead before or after class?
___Y ___N
If Yes, when and where? _____________________________________
When and where will I study? Make a plan – and stick to it!
Date/Time/Place: ____________________________________
Date/Time/Place: ____________________________________
Date/Time/Place: ____________________________________
Mark these dates in your planner.
Prioritization: What topics will the exam cover?
Topic
1
2
3
4
5
I really know
this stuff
I am not too sure I have no clue
about this stuff about this stuff
Topic reviewed
at least once
Predict some test questions (this will force you to focus on key concepts the
instructor has been stressing).
Concept:
Test Question:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What I need for test day:
Pens, pencils, extra paper (graph, lines, etc)
_____
Calculator
______
Notes – can I use my notes during the test?
______
Textbook – is the test open book?
______
Ruler
______
Other
__________________
Resources: Workshop Wed #2 – Exam Prep
Helpful Tips
On Preparation:

You will be asked to complete problems yourself, not watch someone else
complete them.
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If you practice sprinting, what makes you think you can run a marathon?

Sleep = Organization of Knowledge. Problem-solving requires a fresh state of
mind.

New knowledge, to be useful, must be learned one full day before an exam.
On Test-Taking:

Be efficient! Don’t perform problems in order listed on exam!

DATA DUMP!

Using a pen or erasing massive chunks of work is a waste of time.

“Fight or Flight” is real and manageable.
Relaxation Techniques to manage test anxiety (must be practiced to be useful):
The Turtle
 Sit up straight
 Let chin fall to chest as you exhale
 Inhale, move head back slowly as though you are trying to touch the back of
your neck with head
 Pull shoulders up to ears
 Release
Countdown
 Count backwards from 10
 Take a breath before each number
 Say each number silently as you exhale
 Notice that with each number you relax and slow down slightly
 Add imagery if necessary (ie. decreasing on an Anxiety Scale)
 At end, inhale and count to three to resume
Workshop Wednesday # 3 Prep - Note Taking
Student Prep: Students respond on an online discussion forum to the following
prompt,
Do you take notes in your classes (including math class)? If yes, why? How do they
help you? If not, why not?
Do you use a particular method? Where did you learn this technique? Would you
recommend it to other people?
Why do you think your instructors want you to take notes?
Collaborative Lab: Ask students to share examples of their note taking with other
students. Ask them to rate their own notes from 1 - Terrible, incomplete, useless
notes to10 – Perfect, clear, useful notes. Ask students to specifically talk about what
exactly they write down during class and what they find the most useful.
Debrief: Share a couple note taking systems with students. Encourage them to try
one or more, but to add their own personal style to their note taking. Display
student response to the writing prompt and the “Tips on Note Taking” document
below. After presenting this information, a discussion about final thoughts on note
taking should wrap up the lab.
Resources: Workshop Wednesday # 3 – Examples of Note Taking Systems
The Cornell System
Resources: Workshop Wednesday # 3 – Examples of Note Taking Systems
Mind Mapping
Mapping is a method that uses comprehension/concentration skills and
evolves in a note taking form which relates each fact or idea to every other fact or
idea. Mapping is a graphic representation of the content of a lecture. It is a method
that maximizes active participation, affords immediate knowledge as to its
understanding, and emphasizes critical thinking.
This format helps you to visually track your lecture regardless of conditions.
Little thinking is needed and relationships can easily be seen. It is also easy to edit
your notes by adding numbers, marks, and color coding. Review will call for you to
restructure thought processes which will force you to check understanding. Review
by covering lines for memory drill and relationships. Main points can be written on
flash or note cards and pieced together into a table or larger structure at a later date.
Example: Mind mapping guidelines described through mind mapping.
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MindMapGuidlines.JPG
Reprint permission via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Resources: Workshop Wednesday # 3 – Tips on Note Taking
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Consider the structure of your notes. This structure WILL change for you
as you progress through college. You may as well be mindful of this change.
Consider what you write in your notes. When you take notes, you must
transfer attention to and from your instructor’s conversation.
Don’t only write down everything that comes out of the instructor’s
mouth or is written on the board. Note taking is essentially a conversation
you are having with your future self. Be mindful of this as you take notes.
Consider annotating your notes in a different color. This side
conversation with yourself may be essential in a week or month.
Consider a method to review your notes. Concept Mapping or Outlining
make notes truly useful. If you don’t review your notes, are they truly useful?
When given the opportunity, do your own work in your notes, but leave
room for the instructor’s example if it is significantly different.
Your book has many of the formulas and similar examples. If a book
page is referred to, or if you have your book next to your, mark your book,
don’t spend time writing it down (that book did cost ridiculous amounts of
money in the first place).
Workshop Wednesday # 4 – Studying (Collaborative Lab)
DIRECTIONS: Please take turns reading each section below. After each section,
read the discussion question that follows. Share honestly with each other, offer
ideas that you use when studying, and debate as to whether the section describes
something that you may actually employ in your own studies or not.
Control of Task and Setting
Decisions you make about when and where you study have a significant effect on
your productivity. Research explains that you should consider:

Studying at the same place every day. Not just ‘in the library’ or ‘in Parks
MPR’ or ‘at home’, but exactly the same spot. Choose a table or desk and
chair that you will use only for studying. Consider this location your study
area. Once you have decided on a location, do not do anything but study at
this location. Don’t eat there, play games, search the internet, or anything
else not productive to your learning. Also, don’t try to study in front of the
T.V. (or internet), you are only wasting your time. Even if you think your
brain is multitasking, it isn’t. Your brain is much more productive when
focused on one thing at a time.

When you study. The absolutely most effective time to study is as soon after
class as possible. Psychologists have shown that most forgetting occurs right
after someone has learned something new. The more time you spend
separated from material presented in class the harder it will be to
understand your homework. Also, consider what time during the day you
are most likely to be the most effective. Some people have a hard time
concentrating in the evenings and some people find it impossible to focus in
the morning.
When and where do you study? Is it the same place each
time?

Noise, lighting, temperature, hunger, amount of sleep, and distractions. Each
of these affects your thinking and focus. For example, research has shown
that low constant noise (a fan or classical music station) can greatly help you
stay focused while studying. How much these factors affect your learning
varies from person to person. Most importantly is that you are aware of
these factors and have placed yourself in situations where you have control
over them.
What types of distractions do you have this quarter that keep
you from being productive when you study?
Control of focus and motivation
After you have decided on the environment in which you study, you must decide
how to study.
Describe how you study for your math class. What do you do
if you get stuck?
Research indicates that:
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You should study your hardest subjects first! Your brain loses
productivity as you study and is sharpest during the first part of your study
session.
You should take study breaks. Your brain physically tires after about
thirty minutes of learning new material. This often leads to frustration and
lack of focus. Taking study breaks allows your brain to recharge and calm
down. Walk around the block, get some water, review your goals, or eat an
orange. Again, do not turn on the T.V. or begin searching your favorite site on
the internet (yes, that includes Facebook, Myspace, and YouTube), these are
habitual activities that can steal all your study time before you know it.
Develop positive self-statements. These are statements often written on a
note card or in a binder to remind yourself of your goals and why you are
studying in the first place. An example may be “If I am able to stay focused
during my studies I will be successful in my math class and accomplish my
dream of becoming a(n) (insert future occupation here)”.
Do not dwell on one question for too long. If you become stuck, reread
the directions to the problem, look for examples in the section, and write
yourself a note regarding why the current problem is harder than the
previous problems. Move on or spend your time reviewing past problems.
Sources
Corno, L., & Trawick, L. (1995). Expanding the volitional resources of urban community college students. New Directions for Teaching
and Learning.
Nolting, P. (2002). Winning at Math. Bradenton, Florida: Academic Success Press, Inc.
Bass, A. (2008) Math Study Skills. San Francisco: Pearson.
Workshop Wednesday # 5 - Self-Evaluation
Student Prep: Students answer the following questions on their own paper.
Students are asked to bring their responses to the Workshop Wednesday lab.
What were your goals for Fall Quarter?
Now that we are four weeks into the quarter, how would you rate yourself on a
scale of 1 – 100 on your progress towards those goals?
What specifically has helped you to achieve your goals?
What specifically has hindered you as you have attempted to make progress
towards your goals?
What is your current grade in the course (see back)? Is it the grade you hoped to
have? Why or why not?
Collaborative Lab: Students talk in groups about their responses to the questions
above. Students talk about the calculation of their grades and are asked to answer
questions about what grades they can still obtain (a nice, useful, and interesting
application of algebra). The concept of goal setting and evaluation is revisited from
the first Workshop Wednesday lab.
Debrief: This is a good time to reflect on the quarter for the students (and the
instructor). Help them keep up their motivation and effort by asking them to revisit
why they are in school, who it affects, and what they need to do to be successful.
Since this lab is very introspective and personal a full class debrief may not make
sense for your students.
How to compute your grade:
Exam 1
your grade __________________
possible grade = 100
Exam 2
your grade __________________
possible grade = 100
Quiz 1
your grade __________________
possible grade = 50
Quiz 2
your grade __________________
possible grade = 50
HW 1
your grade __________________
possible grade = 25
HW 2
your grade __________________
possible grade = 25
WW #1
your grade __________________
possible grade = 5
WW #2
your grade __________________
possible grade = 5
WW #3
your grade __________________
possible grade = 5
WW #4
your grade __________________
possible grade = 5
Your total __________________
possible total = 370
Compute:
Your total
 _________ This is your current grade.
370
Are you happy with your current grade? What are you willing to do to improve it if you
aren’t happy?
Workshop Wed #6 – Comprehension Monitoring
Concept: During this workshop students spend most of their time thinking about
application problems. While attempting to solve application problems
collaboratively, students are asked to complete a Comprehension Monitoring
Protocol for each problem. This self-monitoring technique attempts to help
students develop their meta-cognitive strategies while problem solving.
Student Prep: Complete several application problems (take-home worksheet,
assigned homework, etc) before workshop.
Collaborative Lab: Provide students with list of application problems and ask each
group to complete specific problems from the list. Inform students the goal of the
workshop is for them to complete a comprehension monitoring checklist for each
problem (I do this by telling them that I will be grading their ability to completely fill
out the checklist for a specific number of problems). Students will want to focus on
getting the solutions quickly; it may take some work to get them to focus on the
checklist. As you end the workshop, debrief using as many problems as possible and
attempt to keep the conversation focused on the thinking skills need to tackle the
application problems.
Debrief: Describe the utility of using the comprehension monitoring checklist or a
similar list to organize your thoughts while problem solving. The instructor could
provide a short lecture on meta-cognition. Ask the students what types of questions
they would ask themselves if they were going to create such a checklist. Students
may even be asked to create a personalized problem solving, meta-cognitivelist for
themselves.
Resources: Comprehension Monitoring
Checklist Problem #:
.
1.
Do you understand what the problem wants you to find? If so, describe it here.
2.
Do you understand what steps you must take to solve the problem?
3.
Do you understand what relationships or equations are required?
4.
Do you understand how to do the mathematics involved?
5.
Do you seem to be following a strategy that will lead you to success?
6.
If you are not being successful, what can you do differently? What do you need
to understand that you do not know?
7.
Does your answer make sense? Is it reasonable? Can you double check the
answer by using an alternate procedure?
Adapted from: Schurter, W.A. (2002) Comprehension monitoring: An aid to mathematical problem
solving. Journal of Developmental Education 26(2), 22–33.
Resources: Workshop Wednesday #6 - Mixed Applications
1) A men’s shop purchases a total of 60 shirts for $929.75. If some were dress
shirts costing $17.50 each and the rest were sport shirts costing $14.25 each,
how many of each were purchased?
2) Kali left school and traveled toward her friend's house at an average speed of
40km/h. Matt left one hour later from the same house and traveled in the
opposite direction with an average speed of 50 km/h. How long after Matt
departs are Kali and Matt 400 km apart?
3) John’s last paycheck for the last two weeks, before taxes, was $1141.50. John’s
pay is based on two different pay rates. His normal hourly wage is $15 per hour,
but on city jobs he earns prevailing wage which is $27 per hour. If he worked a
total of 52.5 hours during the pay period, how many hours did he work at
prevailing wage?
4) You are selling tickets for a musical at your local high school. Student tickets
cost $5 and general admission tickets cost $8. If you sell 500 tickets and collect
$3475, how many student tickets did you sell?
5) Jose and Rob are roommates. Jose left the house and drove towards New York
City at an average speed of 40km/h. Rob left home some time later driving in the
same direction at an average speed of 48km/h. After driving for five hours Rob
caught up with Jose. How long did Jose drive before Rob caught up?
6) At last weekend’s farmers market, Jackie’s Jellies sold Snohomish Strawberry
Jelly ($4.50/𝑗𝑎𝑟) and Marysville Marmalade ($7.00/𝑗𝑎𝑟). They sold twice as
many Marmalade jars as they did Strawberry Jelly jars and made $259 in
revenue for the weekend. How many Snohomish Strawberry Jelly jars did they
sell?
Resources: Workshop Wednesday # 6 - Mixed Applications (cont.)
1) The Cheaper-Than-U car rental company charges costumers a daily rate of $35 to
rent a Jeep, plus $0.15 per mile travelled. If a customer rented a Jeep for one day
and was charged a total of $75.95, how many miles did they travel?
2) In order to prepare for an upcoming triathlon, Frank trained on an 81-mile
course by jogging (at a pace of 10 miles per hour) to his bike and then riding his
bike (at a pace of 16 mph) the rest of the course. If Frank completed this training
in 6 hours, how far was the biking section of the training?
3) Jim has 40 coins in his pocket (nickels and dimes only) with a total value of
$3.10. How many of each type of coin does he have?
4) Sally and Vanessa live 32.5 miles apart. Sally leaves her house on her Segway,
heading towards Vanessa’s house, at 5 mph. Vanessa leaves her house two
hours after Sally, riding her horse at a rate of 13 mph, heading towards Sally.
How long after Vanessa leaves will she run into Sally?
5) Wesley is trying to get home for Christmas, which is 300 miles from this
apartment at WSU. His plan is to drive to a bus station (at an average rate of
55mph) and take the bus the rest of the way home. If the bus ride covers 135
miles of the trip, how long did it take him to get to the bus station?
6) The Everett Ballet has sold out its season opening performance. It has two ticket
prices, $15 for general admission and $20 for balcony seating. They ended up
selling three times as many general admission tickets as balcony tickets. If they
brought in $16,250 in revenue for the performance, how many of each did they
sell?
7) Jessica went on a spending spree at express.com. They were having a clearance
sale on all of last year’s tops. The sale priced all of the shirts at either $6 or $13.
If Jessica was able to buy 14 tops for $147, how many did she buy at each price?
Workshop Wednesday #7 - Advising
Student Prep: Students are asked to respond to the following prompt on an online
discussion board,
NOTE: Even if you are not sure about the following questions "I don't know" isn't
good response. Answer with your best thought of what you would like to do with
your education.
1) What degree/certification are you working towards?
2) What are the math requirements of that degree/certificate?
3) What is the next math class that you should take based of question #2?
Collaborative Lab: Groups are given the school’s course catalog. Using this resource
and the groups understanding of the math sequence, they are asked to make a visual flow
chart of the mathematics sequence. This flow chart should highlight the different paths
of the group members and include important questions the group has unresolved.
Debrief: As a class, ask the students to describe the developmental mathematics
sequence at your school. Answer any questions that students may have. Describe the
different paths students take, especially the differences between the 100-level
mathematics courses.
Resources: EvCC Math Flowchart
Workshop Wednesday #8 – Final Exam Review / Debrief
Concept: This workshop is held during the last Wednesday of the quarter. Students
work together to form a study plan for the final exam. Students are also given a
chance to reflect on their progress in math and to look towards their next math class
(if they have another to take).
Student Prep: Students are asked to define a realistic and powerful plan for
preparing for the final exam. In order to help them with this effort, students are
directed to the following online resources,
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http://www.coolmath.com/finaltip.htm
http://salsa.missioncollege.org/mss/stories/storyReader$28
http://www.simpson.edu/hawley/study/finals.html
Collaborative Lab: Students share their findings from their online research and
share their study plans with each other. Students are asked to justify decisions they
made in their study plan. After sharing is finished, the group has the task of
reporting back to the class with what they feel are final exam review “best
practices”.
Debrief: This is an opportunity for the instructor to remind the students that a
cumulative final exam is a chance for them to organize everything they learned from
the quarter in preparation for their next math class (or other classes which will use
the mathematics they learned this quarter). This focus might also help students
manage their efforts as their quarter winds down. As this is the last lab of the
quarter, this is also an opportunity for students to share their thoughts about
Workshop Wednesdays. This final debrief has helped the developers of Workshop
Wednesdays modify the curriculum to better suit the needs of the students.
Why use a CAT (Classroom Assessment Technique)?
We are using this as a formative assessment. The point is to customize classroom
instruction to benefit the students in our class, to maximize the minutes in class to the
greatest benefit. That part is for the student. For us, we need to help students to develop
the capacity to ask questions. If we use this particular CAT on a regular basis, (1) it’s less
threatening, (2) the begin to reflect on their learning, and (3) tend to get better about
articulating what it is they know AND what they don’t know. Students will always use
prior knowledge in the formation of their response. This formative assessment shifts the
attention to what students are saying.
Feedback form
1.
Topic of the day
2.
Which CAT did you use?
3.
How did the students react?
4.
How did this inform your practice?
MINUTE PAPER
Directions: In a single well-constructed sentence, provide the following information to
these questions:
What was the most important thing you learned from today’s lesson?
What important question remains unanswered?
MUDDIEST POINT
Directions: As specifically as possible, complete the following statement:
After today’s lesson, I am still confused about:
DOCUMENTED PROBLEM SOLUTIONS
Directions: On the left side of this sheet, solve the problem using the techniques you
have learned in class. On the right side of the worksheet, explain the reasoning that you
used to reach your solution in a step-by-step approach. For example, you might say: I
used the distributive property to simplify.”
1.
Problem:
Documentation
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Writing Prompts
Each week you will be asked to write a brief response to a question or statement I will pose to
you. Some will be content related, some will be about study skills or test strategies, and some
will be more general. I will respond to each paper with written comments and return them in your
group folder.
Writing Prompt 1:
Complete the following sentences:
I love math because…
I hate math because…
I think math is important because…
Writing Prompt 2:
Describe your experiences and attitudes about using a calculator, and tell me what
kind of calculator(s) you have used. Did you use a calculator in previous math
classes? Did it help or hinder your understanding of math? Why do you think
calculators are not allowed in Math XX and Math XX? How do you think instructors
feel about this rule?
Writing Prompt 3:
How much time per week have you spent studying for this course? Do you think it is
enough time at this point, and if not, how will you change that?
Writing Prompt 4:
How have you prepared for math exams in the past (previous classes at EvCC or in
high school)? How did you prepared for the first exam in this class? What do you
plan to do differently to prepare for the next exam? Be specific in describing your
plan. Did you find the Exam Debrief helpful? Why or why not?
Writing Prompt 5
Name at least one thing the instructor is doing in this class that is helping you to be
successful. AND name at least one thing that the instructor is doing that is causing
you problems in this class. OR what is the instructor NOT doing that would really
help? Be specific in your comments.
Writing Prompt 6
Discuss your reaction to your performance on your exams so far. Was it what you
expected? Better? Or worse? If it was worse, can you see patterns in your errors, or
identify the cause of your poor performance? If it was better, pat yourself on the
back and tell me so! Describe whether you are satisfied with your performance.
Writing Prompt 7
Write a letter of reference for yourself from the instructor’s point of view. Address
issues such as attendance, teamwork, attitude, etc. Begin your letter:
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing a letter of reference for (your name here) who has applied for a position
in your company. I believe you should consider this person as a good hire because…
Be very specific in your comments about the above attributes. You must list at least
five (5) attributes that would make you a good employee. Would you want to hire
yourself?
Writing Prompt 9:
Write a letter to a student who might be starting this class in the next term, telling
them at least 5 things they need to do to be successful in this course with this
instructor or with any other instructor. Also list at least 5 things a student needs to
be successful in any college level class.
Writing Prompt 10:
Looking back over the quarter, what are the most important things you have learned
about being successful in math? What are the most important things you have
learned about being successful in college? How have you changed since taking
classes at EvCC? Name at least three things in each category. What can EvCC do
to help you in later quarters here? Be specific in your recommendations.